BROCKTON – Steven Abrams, a non-commissioned officer with 23 years of military service, knows fear.

“You go overseas you will fear something, but we here in Brockton should have no fear,” said Abrams.

However, Abrams said that Brockon is afraid of something right now, and that is confronting the city’s growing gun violence problem.

“I feel like we are leaving some of our children behind and it’s because of us and what we’re scared of,” said Abrams.

Abrams was one of about 60 people who were at the Brockton War Memorial Building on Monday night for a forum on gun violence hosted by Mayor Bill Carpenter and state Rep. Michael Brady, D-Brockton.

The event was part of a listening tour organized by state Rep. Harold Naughton, D-Clinton, the chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, to address the issue of gun violence.

The tour began after about 60 different pieces of legislation were filed on Beacon Hill concerning gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Naughton added that the Legislature is close to producing comprehensive gun reform legislation.

During the event, Carpenter announced that earlier he had joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of mayors from across the country formed by former mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York City and Thomas Menino of Boston to combat gun violence.

“Our city is no different than any other city,” said Carpenter. “Our residents are faced with the threat of gun violence.

Many of those guns are brought in from other states, said Naughton, who added that 60 percent of guns confiscated in Massachusetts come from outside the commonwealth.

“There are a lot of folks making money bringing guns into the streets of our city and selling them to young people,” said Carpenter.

Often, the effects of those sales can disproportionately affect minorities in the city.

“It is something that is very detrimental to the community of color, this gun violence,” said Gwen Nauls. “There are black men that are dropping like flies at the hands of other black men on a daily basis.”

However, a number of gun rights advocates were also on hand to voice their concerns over any potential legislation.

“I just don’t feel that you’re going far enough for gun owners,” said Carl Mayer. “There’s so many crazy laws in this state.”

John Fabroski, president of the Plymouth County League of Sportsmen, put the blame for the regions gun violence on the state’s justice system.